KOMANI-BORN businessman, Masonwabe Fuma, is making waves in Gauteng after he received the Sunday World Unsung Hero Award, which recognises the Top 100 young people across the country who are not afraid to dream and act.
The award covers a range of categories, including youth in business, sport, arts and culture, and academia and education, among others. Fuma is a global business speaker and founder of many businesses and foundations, which include a youth development-driven foundation.
“I am the co-founder and executive chairperson of Mentorship Foundation Africa, a youth platform that aims to create intergenerational dialogues among the youth of Africa on key pertinent issues. The organisation aims to foster mentorship and robust debates around youth social ills,” said Fuma.
Fuma said while South Africa was faced with challenges, including COVID-19 and youth unemployment, which stands at 74%, young people still had a role to put pressing issues on the national agenda and get involved in providing solutions.
“I am working on building a centre for youth and community development, named Sakhulutsha eAfrika, to be based in the Chris Hani District Municipal area, covering youth in Ngcobo, Cofimvaba and Cala, Lady Frere and Komani.
“Social entrepreneurship is the ability to identify societal challenges and address them in the form of business establishment. The youth of Chris Hani District Municipal area who wish to explore their entrepreneurial spirit, have an obligation. They need to carefully study their community and identify what it is that their community is struggling with and respond with a business model.”
Fuma said that if he, coming from the small town of Komani, can compete among the best in the world and come up tops – this is a clear indication that there is talent in the district.
He went to Stepping Stone Junior School (SSJS) and later Queen’s College Boys’ High School. Fuma has a BTech degree in marketing from the University of Johannesburg. He is currently pursuing a postgraduate diploma in business administration at the Wits Business School.
